Title: Flu Interview
Interview: 11
I: Okay, have you heard of the flu?
P: Yes.
I: Okay, what can you tell me about it?
P: Well, it's transmitted from person to person. Usually, a lot of people take the
symptoms as cold symptoms. They sort of feel achy and just not yourself. A lot of people
think you just throw up, but you don't usually. It's just you feel achy, something similar
to a cold.
I: Okay, so what is the percent chance that you'll get the flu sometime in the next year?
P: Probably pretty low because I had the flu shot.
I: Given that you had the flu shot, what do you think the percent chance is? If you had
to just put a number on it, a best guess, obviously.
P: Maybe 20 percent.
I: Okay, and that's because you've had the flu shot. Any other reasons?
P: I try to take good care of myself, wash my hands, cover my mouth when I sneeze, try
to get as much rest as I can.
I: Are there any people who are more likely to get the flu than others because of who
they are or what they do?
P: Probably the very young and the very old. I would say their immune systems are
probably a lot less, a lot weaker than someone who is sort of not in that age range.
Probably people who work in hospitals, I would think, but I'm sure that they would get
the flu shot as well.
I: Are there people who are less likely to get the flu than others?
P: I would say yes.
I: What kind of people?
P: Probably people that are fairly healthy, get enough rest, make sure they use proper
hygiene.
I: What are different ways in which the flu can be passed on from one person to
another?
P: By touching something somebody else touched with germs, since germs last quite a
while, just from being in close quarters from people who have the flu. I say it's mostly by
touching, so I think washing hands is very important.
I: You said germs can stay around for a while by touching things; how long do you
think they would be able to stay around?
P: I don't know. Several hours, I would think. Maybe, I don't know, 24 hours, something
like that. I think it's a long time. I don't know specific (inaudible), but it's probably a lot
longer than people think.
I: You also mentioned being in close quarters with someone. How close of quarters
would you need to be in order to?
P: Well, I know we have a little girl here. We have a daughter, and I know when she
gets sick, we're always hugging and kissing each other on the cheek, and stuff like that.
I'd say anywhere where you're not sort of confined into an area, like a house, during the
wintertime.
I: You said that the flu could be passed on when who you touch different things that
have germs on them. Can you talk a little bit more about how the flu is passed on that
way?
P: How about—you touch a telephone or computer keyboard or a doorknob or the toilet
seat handle or anything like, and then you either don't wash your hands, or you don't
wash them very well, and you end up touching, rubbing your eye, or wiping your
mouth, or picking up a utensil when someone else touches it (inaudible) without you
washing your hands, things like that.
I: All right, okay. How does—I mean, you talked a little bit about it with your family
and things like that, but how does, how would being in close proximity with someone,
how would that give you the flu? How could the flu be passed on that way?
P: Well, I mean, if you're sitting right next to somebody and somebody has flu or flulike symptoms and they sneeze on you, those water droplets land on you, and then
you're right next to them.
I: You mentioned touching things. How do you get the flu by touching things with your
hands? How would that give you the flu?
P: Okay, say someone sneezed, and you're in an office, and you're working with
somebody who has the flu that's coming into the office, and they shouldn't have. They
should have stayed home and rested. Instead, they come in; they're sitting at their desk,
and for some reason or other, you share things with this person, as far as, like, computer
keyboard or a mouse or a telephone, and they're not feeling well. They sneeze. They try
to cover their mouth. They don't always do it. Then they touch it on their keyboard, and
then you come along; you sit down, and you touch those. Then you're eye itches; your
nose, you rub your nose, and the droplets end up getting, I would imagine, in your eye
somehow. I don't know how, but you rub your eye, and you've got it in your fingers.
I: You touched on this a little bit, but can you get the flu from just breathing near a
person with flu symptoms?
P: I wouldn't think so, no. I would think that they would have to sneeze or expel the
germs someway. I would think that you get it from kissing somebody, but if you’re just
sitting next to somebody who has the flu and they're not sneezing or having really dirty
tissues lying around, I wouldn't think you could get it that way, no, not just by sitting
next to somebody breathe.
I: If someone did sneeze, how long do you think it would be able to stay in the air and
give people the flu?
P: I don't know, several hours.
I: How far do you think it would be able to travel in the air?
P: Oh gosh. I don't know.
I: Do you have any best guesses or probably just your gut instinct of what you think it
would be?
P: I don't know, a couple of feet maybe.
I: Is there anything a person can do to prevent getting the flu?
P: Well, it's a virus, so you—I would say flu seems to be more prevalent in the winter
months; when people who have it are in close contact with others who have it, then
that's how it would spread. Frequent washing of the hands if you're around someone
who has it. I would stay away from real close contact with someone as far as, like,
kissing and that kind of stuff. Try to stay healthy; eat your fruits and vegetables. Get
enough water; get enough sleep, those kinds of things.
I: Okay, so as far as washing hands—we’re going to use a '1' to '7' scale here, with '1'
being “not at al”' and '7' being “extremely well.” How well do you think that washing
your hands would protect a person from getting the flu?
P: You said the scale was from '1' to '7'?
I: Right. '1' is “not at all,” and '7' is “extremely well.”
P: I'd say a '6'.
I: Why do you say '6'?
P: Because I think the hands are touching so many things. People subconsciously rub
their eyes, wipe their noses, touch their faces all the time, and don’t realize that things
are on your hands you can't even see.
I: Right, so do you wash your hands to protect yourself from getting the flu? Is that
something you do?
P: Yes, that is something I do, yes.
I: Okay, are there any circumstances in which you wouldn't wash your hands to protect
yourself from getting the flu?
P: That I wouldn't?
I: Right.
P: Hopefully, I'd be in a situation where I had some type of cleanser or something for
my hands, whether it's the Purell, the GermEx's, and the alcohol-based rub. I, in fact,
always carry one of those with me in my purse. If there were things available for me to
wash my hands, I would use it.
I: You had also mentioned staying healthy as a way to prevent from getting the flu.
Again on that '1' to '7' scale, how well do you think that that would protect a person
from getting the flu by getting enough rest, eating well, that kind of thing?
P: '5' or '6'. I'd have to say '6'.
I: Why do you think '6' for that?
P: The virus is out there, and anyone can get it, but I think a healthy person would be
less susceptible to it. If the virus were to enter your body and you would get it anyway,
even if you thought you were healthy, I would think you'd be better able to fend it off.
Your immune system would be a bit stronger than someone who wasn’t as healthy. You
might get it, but maybe the symptoms and side effects wouldn't be as bad.
I: I believe said this earlier, but is trying to stay healthy, is that something you do to
protect yourself from getting the flu?
P: Yes.
I: Okay. Is there any circumstances where you wouldn't, say, get enough rest or you
wouldn't be eating healthy?
P: Yes, taking care of my daughter, I seem to put a lot of attention on her and sometimes
forget myself.
I: You mentioned earlier the flu vaccine. On that '1' to '7' scale, how well do you think
getting the flu vaccine would protect a person from getting the flu?
P: I'd say '6'.
I: Okay, and why do you say '6' for that?
P: Well, there's obviously cases where people get the vaccine and end up getting it
anyway, getting the flu virus anyway. I can't, I wouldn't say it’s 100-percent effective
that you get the flu, that you get the shot, and you can guarantee that you're not going to
get it. I would say it's definitely a positive way to prevent it.
I: Is that something that you usually do? Do you usually get the vaccine, the flu vaccine,
to protect yourself from getting the flu?
P: Yes, I do. Before my daughter was born, I never really did, but when I was pregnant
with her, they had advised pregnant woman that a certain—I think it was if you were
not in a certain trimester or whatever, you could get it. I got it, and ever since we had
her, I’ve been getting it every year because she's been getting it as well.
I: Okay, so she also gets the vaccine then?
P: Yes, she does.
I: We were just talking about some ways of how a person can prevent getting the flu.
Let's say a person has the flu; is there anything that they can do, besides what you
mentioned, they can do to prevent giving it to someone else?
P: Well, if they have the symptoms and they realize it's not just a regular cold, I would
say stay home; try to get some rest. Do what your mom says: have chicken soup. I would
say, try to stay away, like if you work in an office. Usually people with the flu, they're
not feeling great anyways, so you should stay home and rest. You keep your germs in
your own house. That's how we all contaminate each other here: we all stay home, and
we all get sick together.
I: Again on that '1' to '7' scale, how would you think staying at home would protect a
sick person from giving the flu to someone else?
P: Well, I mean, if you're home by yourself, that’s the thing. On a scale of '1' to '7', I
would say it would be a '5'.
I: Why do you say '5' for that?
P: Well, if you're staying home and there's others in your family and you're with them
all day, you might potentially get them sick too. Getting maybe two family members
sick versus a whole office of 10, it's a little trade off.
I: You mentioned just resting, how do you think that that helps protect others from
getting the flu?
P: Just staying home and resting?
I: Mm-hmm.
P: Well, if you have the flu and you're just resting, staying and napping or just sitting on
the couch, watching TV or maybe reading a book or just laying there and closing your
eyes, well, it helps you because your body is not being stressed out. It has more chance
of getting better versus going out and (inaudible) shovel the front walk, like my
husband's doing.
I: Is that something that you would do? Would you stop going to work to prevent
giving the flu to someone else?
P: Would I stop going to work to prevent giving the flu to someone else? Well,
probably, to be honest with you, I think a bit more about how I'd feel. I’d think, “I'm
feeling really crummy today. I'm probably not going to be able to go in and do a good
job anyway." I would probably think about how I felt first, but then I would also think
too, "If I take this into the office, I'm going to spread it around, and who knows, I might
end up getting it back again."
I: Are there any circumstances, you think, in which you would go to work, even if you
could be giving the flu to someone else?
P: If I was told to come in, if there was a circumstance where I was forced to, I probably
would.
I: Right, okay. Let me talk a little bit about some things. How long does it take for a
person to get symptoms of the flu after they're exposed?
P: Maybe a day or so.
I: How long does it take for a person to get better after getting the flu?
P: I don't know. I've heard ones where people say it's just a stomach virus; it's the 24hour bug or whatever. I guess it would depend on what you have.
I: In general, how long in your experience—have you had the flu before?
P: I have, but I haven't had it in a while.
I: Do you remember how long did it took you to get better when you had it?
P: Maybe a couple days.
I: At what point would you see a doctor if you had symptoms of the flu?
P: If it turned into something, like, more than just (inaudible), something with, like—if I
felt like I was having a hoarse cough or bronchitis, or if I had a fever that was lasting
longer than it should, if there was some things that didn't seem right.
I: You’d kind of wait and see how the symptoms kind of went along?
P: Yes. I really wouldn't run to the doctor right away, probably. I'd probably try to treat
it more or less on my own.
I: How soon after someone is first exposed could that person give the flu to someone
else?
P: I'm trying to remember what I read about that. I know it's pretty quickly. I think you
can have it and not really know it and be contagious.
I: After a person has recovered and has no more symptoms of the flu, can that person
still give the flu to someone else?
P: You know what? I'm not sure; I don't think so, though.
I: During the course of someone's illness with the flu, when are they most likely to give
the flu to someone else?
P: I would say it would be right at the very beginning.
I: Why do you think right at the very beginning?
P: Because they may think it's just a cold, and usually when someone's coming down
with something, they may not tend to stay home from—they may not recognize it as the
flu. They may not stay home from their office, or they may go out and about and do
whatever they were doing, and meanwhile, they're spreading germs all over the place.
I: Can people spread the flu if they feel perfectly well?
P: That's a good question. I don't know.
I: Okay, how about if they feel slightly sick?
P: Possibly. I really don't know that.
I: How would you know that you had the flu?
P: Good question. I think if you had the symptoms, people (inaudible). I think if you've
got, if you're vomiting, you're (inaudible) the flu. From what I understand about the
symptoms of it, it mimics a cold very much, but I think with a regular cold there's no
fever, so there would be some other signs.
I: Is there any other ways that it's different from having a cold?
P: I know in the past, when I've just had just colds, my nose runs, my head's sort of
congested. The couple of times I've come down with a flu, I just sort of feel achy all over.
You feel—you're body just doesn't feel right.
I: Okay, so are there any different kinds of flu, of flus?
P: Yes.
I: Okay, what kind of different flus?
P: They give them letters: influenza type A, type B. I don't know the difference between
them all.
I: Well, do you know what the difference between—what the different letters would
mean, or what the difference is at all?
P: I don't—I think it might be from where they originate from. I'm not sure, though.
I: Okay, and how would you know that you had a certain one versus another one?
P: Probably, you’ll only be able to tell that if you went to the doctor.
I: Okay, so now, we're going to talk a little bit more about hand washing, which you
talked about earlier. Before, we talked about how well you think washing your hands
would protect a person from getting the flu, but on that '1' to '7' scale again, if you had
the flu, how well do you think washing your hands would keep you from spreading it
to other people?
P: Probably a '6'.
I: Why do you think '6'?
P: Because not all people wash their hands, I can tell you that. I would say that's
probably on of the most important things you can do is wash your hands.
I: How could someone not washing their hands give people the flu?
P: They sneeze, and they don't have a tissue, and they use their hands. The germs are on
they're hands, and they touch something else. Then someone comes along and touches
that, rubs their eye.
I: I think earlier we may have talked this; I don't remember. I think we were talking
about objects, but how long do you think that the flu would be able to stay on someone's
hand and give other people the flu?
P: Good question, I don't know.
I: Any best guesses or any explination that might?
P: On your hands? Jeez, I don't know. I would think your hand touches so many things;
I can't imagine the amount of germs on people's hands. I don't know. Maybe an hour,
but I don't know.
I: First we're going to talk about think of people in general, when they wash their
hands, and then after that talk about when you wash your own hands, if there are any
differences there and that kind of thing. Are there any times are circumstances in which
people should was their hands?
P: Yes, before handling food, meat, anything like that, after going to the bathroom—let's
see—after petting a dog, that or the GermEx type of thing. I don't know, after touching
money. I would say that a public place—you're using somebody else's computer, I
would do it after that, anywhere where you might be touching things a bunch of other
people have touched, shopping cart handles; that's a big one. That's why I carry my
bottle of GermEx around.
I: Is that something you use before going—you said using the shopping cart?
P: Yes, I try to put it on before and after.
I: Okay, so why should people wash their hands before handling food and going to the
restroom and things like that?
P: Yes.
I: Why should they?
P: Oh, why should they? Well, if you've got germs on your hand, you're going to be
transferring it to the food.
I: When are people—in what circumstances are people more likely to wash their hands?
We were talking about when they should, but when are they more likely to actually
wash their hands?
P: Well, I would think people would be more likely to wash their hands when they
actually feel like they're dirty.
I: Why do you think people do it then?
P: Oh, because, if your hands, if there's nothing on your hands, you don't feel like
they're dirty. Like, if you've—like, say you've just, I don't know, gone out and done
some gardening or something and you weren't wearing gloves and you had dirt on your
hands, I think people would wash their hands when they can see things on their hands. I
think it's what you can't see that's frightening. That's more scary.
I: How about when are some circumstances where people would be less likely to wash
their hands?
P: When they're in a hurry to do —when they're in a hurry. I've already seen people in
the bathroom come out and not do anything at the sink. They just leave. That's
frightening too. I think, when you're in a hurry, you're probably less likely to do it.
Maybe if you're with a group of people, when you're talking and you're involved in
something, you're probably less likely to do it.
I: Are there any circumstances, any (inaudible), but any in which people don't always
wash their hands, even though they probably should?
P: In bathrooms, work, preparing food, that type of thing.
I: Why do you think people don't wash their hands in those circumstances?
P: They might not think that much about it. They might be in a hurry, (inaudible)
involved in what they're doing. They might not even think it's a problem.
I: Right, so why do you think that it might be better for people to wash their hands in
those circumstances?
P: Well, if you're in the bathroom and you don't wash your hands and you're touching
the doorknob, you're touching the toilet, you're touching the sink, the faucet, all that
stuff, then you're leaving germs for someone else to touch when they come in.
I: More thinking about when you wash your own hands, at what times are you more
likely to wash your hands?
P: After using the bathroom, before doing anything with food. I use it a lot; I use the
hand sanitizers a lot. Now that I have a little girl, I'm much more concerned about
transmitting things that way.
I: What are some circumstances when you're most likely to wash your hands?
P: Probably if I'm out somewhere and I don't have anything. It frustrates me, though,
when I don't have anything.
I: Right. Are there any circumstances in which you don't wash your hands, even though
you probably should?
P: Sometimes you're involved, and you forget, yes.
I: Right, so it would be a place for dinner would be your primary reason you don't
wash?
P: Yes, or I was just about to, and I got distracted.
I: Have you ever heard any recommendations for the best way of washing your hands?
P: Yes, I've heard a few.
I: Okay, so what are some of the recommendations you've heard?
P: You should lather up real good, use warm water. Since I having a little girl, I’m
having to sign the ABCs while you wash your hands. Of course, I don't normally do
that, but I try to get her to.
I: Would you say that people usually lather up when they wash their hands?
P: Probably not as much as they should.
I: Okay, and why do you think people don't?
P: I think people are in a hurry, and it takes too much time.
I: What might make someone more likely to lather up?
P: I know what (inaudible) me is the soaps that, like the foaming hand soaps that
already come out kind of foamy.
I: Do you usually lather up when you wash your hand?
P: I try to.
I: Why do you usually do that?
P: Well, because I know it's the right thing to do.
I: Why do you feel it is the right thing to do?
P: Well, germs aren't just going to come off with water, so you need the soap.
I: You also mentioned warm water; would you say that people usually do that?
P: No, probably, people just probably turn on the water, and it's probably the cold.
I: Is there a reason that they just use cold water?
P: You know what, I don't know. I don't know.
I: Would you say that you usually use warm water?
P: Yes, I can't stand cold water.
I: Is that primary reason, just that you don't like cold water?
P: Well, I think warm water does a better job. I don't know why, but I think it does.
That's, I've heard too. Every time I've read things about washing hands, it only says
warm water. It doesn't say hot or cold; it says warm. Frankly, I can't figure out why that
is the case, but that's what I've been reading.
I: Right, in what kind of places have you seen that? What would you be reading?
P: I get a parenting magazine, and it talks about that, getting kids to—how to encourage
kids to hand wash and how to encourage them to do it for as long as they should, and it
talks about that. I've seen it in restrooms, bathrooms, bathrooms in restaurants, and
stores, and things like that.
I: What might make someone more likely to use warm water?
P: Probably that they've read it or remembered that they've read it and, I don't know,
having someone else tell them about it.
I: I know you mentioned saying the ABCs as you wash your hands; have you heard any
recommendations on how long to wash your hands? Is that a recommendation you've
heard, the ABCs?
P: Yes, I'm trying to think of how long that would take. I don't know, maybe a minute,
two minutes.
I: How long do you think people should wash their hands?
P: Well, about two minutes, I'd say.
I: Sorry?
P: About two minutes, I'd say.
I: Would you say that people usually wash their hands for two minutes?
P: No.
I: Why do you think people?
P: That seems too long.
I: About how long would you guess people normally have their hands under running
water when they wash their hands?
P: Jeez, probably less than 30 seconds.
I: Would you say that you usually wash your hands for two minutes?
P: No, probably not.
I: Why do you not do that?
P: Same reasons I've given. It seems too long.
I: About how many seconds would you normally have your hands under running
water, when you wash your hands?
P: For about 16 to 30 seconds.
I: What might make someone more likely to spend two minutes when they wash their
hands?
P: Hmm, that's a good question. I don't know. Probably—I don't know, maybe if it was
written in stone on my kitchen wall to remind myself. Maybe if you saw a listing
somewhere: "This is all that you can get if you don't wash your hands for this long." That
might work.
I: What would make someone less likely to spend the two minutes, when they wash
their hands?
P: Most people try to probably wash their hands like they brush their teeth. It's, like, a
last minute thought. They're (inaudible) go somewhere.
I: Which is the most important for preventing the flu, when washing your hands? I have
three choices here: using soap, rubbing your hands together, or washing your hands for
a long enough time.
P: You want me to choose the most important?
I: What are you thinking?
P: All three of them are. I think you need to do all three of those, really. Can you say
those again?
I: Yes, using soap, rubbing your hands together, or washing your hands for a long
enough time.
P: Probably washing your hands for a long enough time.
I: Why do you think that's the most important?
P: Well, because even though you've used soap and you're rubbing them together, if
you're doing it for five seconds, it's probably not going to do much of anything.
I: Other than using soap and rubbing your hands together, which is the least important.
P: Good question. Would you still be using the water when you're rubbing them
together?
I: I think, yes. Yes, there would be water, yes.
P: I think the rubbing action might be better.
I: That might be more important than having soap?
P: Possibly. I don't know because the thing is soap, if you just put it on there, you don't
do anything with it and you just wash off, I don't know if that could. I don't know; that's
a good question because soap has things in it that help get the germs off, but if you just
put in on your hands, I don't know if it’s doing anything.
I: Now, let me ask about some different types of actions. If you haven't washed your
hands first, could rubbing your nose give you the flu?
P: If you haven't washed your hands first, could rubbing your nose give you the flu?
Well, if you rub—well, it would depend. If you're just rubbing the tip of your nose,
probably not. If you're sticking your finger all the way inside, possibly.
I: That's actually an action further down, but touching the inside of your nostrils, do
you think that that would give you the flu?
P: I think you're making it real easy for the germ to get in there because you're pretty
much putting them in there anyway, and the nose is a warm, moist place, and then
germs like to thrive in warm, moist places. I would think that touching your nose, oh, it
would depend. If you're just touching the tip of your nose, and you don't touch anything
else, and you just leave it there, but I would think being inside the nose is much more
important than being on it.
I: If it was inside the nose, how would that give you the flu?
P: If there was influenza bacteria in your nose and you're—jeez, I don't know. If you're
breathing and you're sucking in, you might, the air might cause it to go further. I don't
know.
I: How about touching the inside of your mouth?
P: Yes, that would be pretty bad. The mouth is a very germy place.
I: How would touching the inside of your mouth, how would that give you the flu?
P: Well, if you had the flu virus—I can't say touching inside your mouth would give
you the flu. You'd have to pick up the virus from somewhere, and then have it end up in
your mouth.
I: Having it in your mouth, how does that give you the flu?
P: I mean, germs thrive in the mouth. I would think that's another warm, moist place,
and I would think if you've got the virus in your mouth, there's a good chance you're
probably going to get it.
I: How about touching your eyes?
P: That would be a bad thing to do.
I: How would that give you the flu, if you're poking your eye?
P: Well, the eyes are—I don't know. I think they're a very sensitive area. They're liquidy.
I just think you’re getting your eyes all irritated.
I: How about biting the fingernails?
P: That would probably be a bad thing to do. Germs live under the fingernails a lot.
I: How about touching your lips?
P: Oh, with your fingers?
I: Yes, right.
P: That would probably be not a good thing to do either because then if you touch if
you touch it—people tend to lick their lips, and then it's going to end up in their mouth.
I: Okay, how about eating a sandwich?
P: Eating a sandwich. I think you would be fine (inaudible) long as you came into the
flu virus some way.
I: Do you think, if you don't wash your hands first, that eating the sandwich could give
you the flu?
P: If you didn't wash your hands before eating?
I: Mm-hmm.
P: I wouldn’t necessarily say it would give you the flu. It's probably not a good thing to
do.
I: Why wouldn't it be a good thing to do?
P: Well, if you're hands are dirty, it could have any numerous amounts of germs on it.
Say you just went to the bathroom and came out, didn't wash your hands, then made
yourself a sandwich and ate it, that would probably be bad.
I: How about shaking your hands?
P: If you're healthy and everybody else is, that’s fine. If you're shaking hands and you're
sick or someone else is sick, then that's probably not a good idea.
I: How would the shaking hands, how would it give you the flu in that situation?
P: Well, I think shaking hands in general is nice to do, but if you got the flu virus in
your hands and you shake someone else's hand and they shake someone else's hand, or
they touch their eyes, rub their nose, whatever, that's how germs get passed.
I: Other than the actions we were just talking about, while we were going through
them, did any other actions come to mind that might give you proof your hadn't washed
your hands first?
P: I wouldn’t share any kind of, like, eating utensils or cups or anything like that. I
wouldn't share towels or anything like that with someone who is sick.
I: You said earlier that you use, like, a hand sanitizer.
P: Yes.
I: Where do you usually buy that kind of thing?
P: Just in a regular grocery store.
I: How do you usually use it?
P: Probably put like a dime-sized amount on my hand, on the palm of my hands, and
then rub them together.
I: Is using that better in any way or any, certain situations than using soap and water?
P: Probably soap and water is still the best because once the hand sanitizer is used up,
it’s rubbed away, and you might have to put more on your hand if you feel that you
didn't use enough In a pinch, where you don't have soap and water or any kind of
towels or anything, I think it's pretty great.
I: Have you ever heard of the bird flu or the avian Flu?
P: Yes, I've heard of that.
I: What have you heard about it?
P: It's pretty contagious. I really don't know much about it; I've just heard it in passing.
I: Do you know if there's any difference between the bird flu or any flu in how people
catch it?
P: Yes, I don't think people can get bird flu.
I: Is there—would you say that you're more afraid of the bird flu compared to the
regular, seasonal flu?
P: Can you repeat that?
I: Yes, would you say that you're more afraid of bird flu compared to the regular flu?
P: No, I wouldn't say that.
I: Have you ever heard of pandemic flu?
P: Yes.
I: What have you heard about it?
P: Not too much, but I've seen it in the newspaper a little bit. They still do studies, I
have heard, on that.
I: Do you know if there's any difference between pandemic flu and the regular flu and
how people catch it?
P: I would think that there would be differences, but I don't know what they are.
I: Do you know if there's any difference in the symptoms or how serious it can be?
P: Just from what I've briefly read, I think the pandemic is much worse, but I don't
know why it is.
I: Are you afraid at all about pandemic flu?
P: No, right now, I'm not too concerned about that.
I: If pandemic flu were circulating, would you do anything differently than you would
normally do to avoid getting just the regular flu?
P: No, I would continue to get my vaccine. It would depend on what news the scientific
and health community came out with. If they’re advising us to do anything different,
then I would change what I'm doing.
I: Partly, people usually catch the bird flu directly from birds, but in the future, the bird
flu might spread, just like regular flu, from person to person. In your opinion, what is
the percent chance that this will happen sometime during the next three years, that it
will start spreading from person to person?
P: The next three years?
I: Mm-hmm.
P: I don't know. I don't know much about that. I don't know how serious that is in the
bird community. I have heard that birds can die from it, but I don't know what that
could do to a human. I don't know, maybe a 20-percent chance.
I: (Reason why) 20 percent?
P: No, I think if it's out there, I think that the health, the scientists, and that they're
probably on top of it. I'm sure they don't want to scare the public, so they're probably
working hard to figure out how to control it.
I: These next questions are about you. Have you ever been diagnosed with the flu?
P: Diagnosed, meaning I actually went to a doctor, and they confirmed that I had the
flu?
I: Right, right.
P: No.
I: When you had the flu, what were the symptoms you experienced?
P: It wasn't a typical cold. It started out that way. I had a fever, sort of chills, an achy
body, a bit of nausea. I can't think of anything else, but that was pretty much the
symptoms that I had, and it didn't go away in, like, a day, maybe three or four days.
I: Obviously, you're a female. Are you Hispanic?
P: No, I'm not.
I: What is your race?
P: White.
I: You mentioned earlier that you had a daughter?
P: Yes.
I: How old is she?
P: She will be four next month.
I: Do you work at all with children?
P: No.
I: Other than what you've already told me, do you do anything differently to keep your
daughter from getting the flu?
P: Well, we really focus on the washing of the hands, try to make sure that she she's
eating well and she gets enough rest. It's hard, when they're that little, to keep them
away from—she's in, she goes to pre-school, so she's around other little kids, and the flu
and cold and things like that spread quickly around kids that age because they're
sharing toys, and they're not all a 100-percent into the hand washing routine, especially
if she's not with me all day. I actually have gotten much better about things like washing
hands and that since we've had her because I'm more concerned if she came down with
something like that. The percentage would be much greater with her because she's
small.
I: Last question: what is your occupation?
P: Right now, I'm a stay-at-home mom.
I: All right, well we are all done.